Switch attachment for folding machines



July 3, 1923.

L. A; GUTRIDGE ET AL SWITCH ATTACHMENT FOR FOLDING MACHINES Filed Jan.20, 1921 VII/II 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 3, 19235 LOAMMIE A.GUTRIDGE AND ll DIRECT AND IEESNE ASSIGNIEEIJZS. 63F 1.. THIRDS TO G. N.SLONAKEEL, COLUMBUS, DI-I113.

SW'ITCH .EIETAAS'EIBGIEDYE Application filed January T 0 all whom it mayconcern Be it known that Loimriure it. Guinness and FRANK M. Mosrun,,itiaens oi the United States, residing at Columbus in the county ofFranklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvemerits in Switch Attachments for Folding Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved switch attachment for paperfolding machines of the type utilized in pi' tablishments tor thepurpose of folding: printed sheets into pamphlets or book leaves, theobject of the invention being to provide means in conjunction with amachine, whereby in the event of the paper becomin ClOS Fl'GQ or undulvstoo )ed in i to h 9&1 l

lpassageways or paper guides thereo'l, mains will be actuated toautomatically stop e driving motor of the machin and to there bydiscontinue its operation until the clog;- ging materials have beenremoved from their obstructing; positions.

In the operation of paper told'ng; machines, considerable loss hasheretofore been occasioned by the failure of the paper sheetz passing;therethrough to properly conimim and follow the guides of the machinelh-equently, these guides are formed to p ovide narrow restrictedopenings throuo'h which the paper sheets allowed to and therefore in theevent o the tailure o sheet to properly pass through an open of thisnature, the latter has become do by the paper disposed k red therein.with the result that following sheets are also prcrentcd from passingthrough the machine until the clogging sheets have been removed.Groinarily the operator of the machine is ot instantly aware of thestoppage, and is not until after a number of sheets have been passedthrough the machine that the detect therein is noted. This clogging; ofthe machine, therefore, results in considerable loss of paper and in thetime of the operator which is used in overcoming the diliicultipresented. Inasmuch as this condition is present many times a day,during: the operation of the machine. it is patent that considerableloss from a standpoint of materials and also of time consumed inetecting repairs is present. l

In order to obviate the e diiliculties and others, the 1 it USLU MBUS,OHIO, ASSIGNORS, BY

eurnrnen AND rwo- ETC-R FOLDING HINES.

20, T Serial I10. 438,547.

tion consists in the provision of a switch anism, which is adapted to bepositioned in one or mor of the paper guides ot a toldiuc' machine, saidswitch mechabeing normally out of the path of e? nt of the paper sheetsthrough the uit us, but so positioned that when the guide iacent theretohas become clogged, the collection of paper therein will ellcct theclosin or a circuit governed by the switch mechanism, which circuitresults in controlling a motor circuit, in which the driving n'iotor otthe machine is located, v-rhereb said motor circuit will be opened toinstantly arrest, in a purely automatic the operation of the machine,therethe operator of the clogged ion oil the machine and to permit theis operated.

a further understanding of the invention. reference is to be had to thetollowing; niption and to the accompanyiugr s, in which similarcharacter's oi reference deno like and corresponding p throughout theseveral views thereot.

.u said drawii is plan view of a portion of e 0% paper folding machine,ti

r2. .nr; more particularly the application o' the pre Fiszjure 2 e liu's the switch attachment comprissent invention thereto.

is a horizontal sectional view 0 2 of Figure 'l, and.

l a diagrammatic view discloscircuits connected with the switch theaccompa j'lllg drawings, the numeral 1 designates the frame of anordinary conventional form of a paper folding machine. As usual, insnachine is formed to include a paper guiding structure, which in thepres ent instance consists of apair of vertically disposed folding;rolls between which pa per sheets nay be passed and suitably bent ii anydesired Folded order. Also, in the present disclosure the frame 1 isprovided with a pair of parallel vertically extending carrying guiderolls 4, which rolls act, to recei e the paper sheets after the lati. siarts ter have been ejected from the folding rolls 2, and to conduct thepaper forwardly through guide strips 5. These guide strips are of theusual nature and are disposed in pairs, the same having certain of theirside edges disposed in adjacent relationship, so as to provide arestricted guide opening 6 therebetween. It will also be noted that thestrips 5 are located in rearwardly diverging order, whereby the samewill be in position to receive the paper discharged from the rolls 4 andto permit said paper to be guided forwardly through the properlypositioned opening 6. The paper is then carried on past a guide member7, and is engaged with vertically disposed rolls 8, which are mountedfor rotation on horizontal shafts. These latter rolls serve to engagethe paper received therebetween and to conduct the paper laterally toother cont-iguous and adjacent folding mechanism, From the foregoing itwill be understood that the paper is initially delivered to the rolls 2and is folded in any suitable manner by the latter. After passing fromthe rolls 2, the paper is delivered to the guide rolls 1-, which drawsthe paper cowardly through the guide opening 6. The diverging strips 5serve to receive the paper irres 'iectivc of its position of dischargefrom the rolls 4t, and to direct said paper toward and through theopening 6. From this opening the paper is carried onwardly by therotating rolls until the same engages with the vertical rollers S, whichas above stated convey the paper toward the discharge end of the machineor to adjacent folding members.

It repeatedly happens in the operation of a machine of this character,that the paper passing from the rollers 4 will be caught or wedged intothe space defined between the strips 5, and when so caught or wedged thepaper clogs and can not pass through the outlet opening 6. Thus, anobstructing sheet of paper between the strips 5 will serve to arrest theonward movement of succeeding sheets. with the result that in a shorttime the space between the guide strips is completely filled with theclogged sheets, so that the operation of the machine is prevented. Thisclo ing results in considerable inconvenience in effecting the re movalof the clogging materials, in the complete loss of the sheets so caught,which become wrinkled and torn, in the stopping of the machine and inthe loss of time required to effect suitable repairs.

To avoid this condition, the present invention consists in providing aswitch attacl ment 9, which is preferably formed from an insulatingmaterial and comprises a U shaped body 10, having an inner wall 11 and aspaced outer wall 12. The outer wall. is equipped with a set screw 13,whereby the attachment may be positioned upon one of the strips 5 in themanner shown in Figure 2, and then securely held in such appliedposition by means of the friction exercised through the medium of thescrew 13. The body is also formed to include a resilient contact l-itand a stationary contact 15, both of which being situatedv ad 'acent tothe inner wall 11 of the body. Iiowever, the normal resiliency of thecontact 14 maintains the latter spaced from the contact 15, so that acircuit connected with these contacts will normally remain open. Thesecontacts are provided with spaced binding members 16, which are normallyinsulated from each other to prevent short circuiting through theattachment.

Leading from the binding member of the stationary contact is a wire 17,and leading from the binding member of the resilient contact is acompanion wire 18. The wire 18 leads to a wire 19, which is situated soas to connect the windings of a rheostat 20 with a magnet 91. from whicha return wire extends, the latter being connected as at 2%; with thewire 17. The motor 24 employed for operating the movable parts of thefolding machine is conne ted with an incoming lead 2F and from the motora wire 26 is extended to the movable circuit controlling handle 27 ofthe starting switch or rheostat. l t will be manifest that by rotatingthe handle 27 toward the rheostat windin I current will be permitted toenter the motor of the lead 25, and the circuit will be continuedthrough the wire 26 to the handle 27. thron h the wire 19 and the magnet21, causing the latter to be energized, and from the magnet 21 to thesource of current supply by way of the return wire 21. It will of coursebe appreciated that by virturc of this construction, the position whichthe handle 27 will assume with relation to the rheostat windings willcontrol the quantities of current passing through the motor 24-. andthat by moving the handie 9/? to an extreme position. the motor circuitwill be broken altogether.

As s usual in this class of devices. the handle 27 is provided with aratchet face 98. with which a movable detent oi armature 529 is adaptedto engage. The armature cooperates with the magnet 21, so that when thelatter is energized. said armature will be revolved. about its pivot.into engagement with the ratchet teeth 28. thereby holding th handle 27against movement, and preventing the operating spring 30 of said handlefrom revolving the latter to a circuit opening position. When thecircuit through the magnet has been broken, it will be manifest thatsaid armature will respond to the influence of its spring 31, so thatthe same will be released from engagement with the handle 27. Vhen thisrelease is effected the spring 30 of the handle 27 Will return thelatter to a neutral position, thereby opening the circuit. This form ofstarting switch is common in mechanisms of this character and hence noclaim is made on the same by itself, the present invention resith ing inassociating the attachment 9 with the starting switch circuits in suchmanner that the motor 24 will be stopped automatically.

In operation, the handle 27 is rotated. so that the motor circuit willbe closed, thereby energizing the motor and effecting the consequentoperation of the folding machine, which operation includes the rotationof the rolls 2, 4: and 8. During the operation ot the rolls, paper willbe forced between the guide strips 5 without engaging normally theswitch attachment. However, in the event that the opening 6 or itsequivalent becomes clogged with twisted paper, pressure will be appliedto the resilient contact 14 by the crowding of the paper between thestrips 5, with the result that the contacts 14 and 15 will be engaged,thereby short circuiting the magnet 21, so that the latter will bede-energized. This results in releasing the engagement between thehandle 2? ant the armature or detent 29, thereby causing the handle 27to be rotated to a neutral position, by the influence of its spring 30,an operation which results in the opening of the motor circuit. Vhen themotor circuit is opened, the motor is thereby stopped causingdiscontinuance in operation of the tolding machine, thereby notifyingthe operator of the clogged condition of the machine and also enablingsuch condition to be eliminated. The strips 5 are readily removable fromattachment with the frame 1, and hence access between the same may beread ily reached.

In view of the foregoing description. it will be apparent that thepresent invention provides a simple and e'thcient attachment for thepurpose set forth, and one which may be quickly applied to presentstandard equipment and which will positively operate to the operation ofthe folding machine after the latter has become clogged in any manner bythe passing of paper therethrough.

While the foregoing description specifically sets forth whatis nowbelieved to be the best mode of applying the principles oi: theinvention, yet it should be understood that such descdption does notnecessarily measure tle invention except as the latter is defined by thefollowing claims.

Ylhat is claimed is:

l. In paper folding machine, in combination. a guide structure fordirecting paper through said machine, a switch attachment conn irisinginner and outer walls adapted to detachaoly ge therebetween a part ofthe guide structure, said attachment being positioned so that a circuittherethrough will be closed when paper is clogged vithin said .idestructure, a motor for operating said machine, starting switch for saidmot ircuit connections between said erned by said switch attachment,said motor "est current flow nation. a guide structure operable togovern the path oi" paper travel through said machine, a switchcooperative with said guide structure and. positioned sons to benormally out of the path of paper travel through the guide structure,said switch comprising inner and outer walls for detachabl therebetweena part of the g .ucture, stationary and movable conta ts on the innerwall of the switch so that when said guide structure is clogged .uro wilbe brought to bear upon one of said contacts to bring them into engagedrelation. means arr ed by the outer wall of the t h tor clainpi an theswitch to the en ide structure. a motor, and a circuit l'or said motorand switch. whereby upon the engag ing 01" said contact-s current tlowthrough said motor will be arrested.

tures.

LOAMMIE A. GUTRIDGE. FRANK M. MOSIEB.

